Multiple switch



y 20, 1952 M. A. RUDD 2,597,823

MULTIPLE swITcH Filed Aug. 29, 1945 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Fig.1 4 1 29. 5

ii t INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 20, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1945 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 20, 1952 2,597,823 MULTIPLE swrrcn Maurice A. Rudd, North Plainfield; N. J assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application has: as, 1945, Serial No. 613,318,

(chant- 4,)

12 Claims.

This invention relates to switches, and par ticularlyto pluralities of switches mounted for coordination. Inasmuch as one use for such swltchesis in the control of multi-row radial engines having a pluralityof'cyhnders in 'each row, occasional reference to such use will be made, but that particular reference is for illustrative purposesonly, not in limitation of the i n. ifi i s an object of this invention to mount a plurality of manually operable switches n a minimum of space for ease 1of operation and v of arts and materia s. fl s t er o bject of the invention is to mount switches performing related functionsi'or alternatc'o'r simultaneous operation by a single controlling handle so that their functions may be simply and speedily coordinated, and so that human errors may be substantially ehminated 1n ani ulation. firio ther abject of the invention is to assemble a plurality of pairs of switches for operation in pairs and for operation all together, so that the electrical, instrumentalities controlled thereby may be affected simultaneously, in pairs or singly as the operator wishes.

Another object is to construct novel, economical,'and efiicient instrumentahties whereby to accomplish the other objects of theunvention, including novel switches, novel operating means, and novel mountings therefor which provide for theirefiicient operation and for mechanical and a] shielding. l l i above and further objects and novel features ofv the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanyins drawings. It is to be expressly understood, ho avever, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits'of the invent on, reference for this latter purpose being had primarily to the I ed claims. I t e drawings, wherein like reference charactersre fer, to like parts throughout the several 1 is an end View, taken from the leit hand end of Fig. 3, ofthe switch casing, showing the operating'lev'ers in various pOSItIOIlEQ Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig.3 showingthe pivoted cam members in various positions. The positions of the cams conespond to the positions of the levers shown in fi' ig jfi is an enlarged side elevation partly in section of a switch; and

, 2' 4 s n d iew o the a in ken fr m e right h n n o i This invention provides means for coordinat ing the operation of a plurality of electrical in strumentalities and has wide applicationsin the electrical industry. A particular example of its use is in connection with internal combustion engines, particularly in connection with those internal combustion'engines that have dual ignition for each cylinder. A particular example of use in connection with such engines concerns aircraft engines of radial type having a plurality of cylinders in each radial row. It is not inire quently the case that such cylinders are provided,

with dual ignition, one spark plug coming in through the left wall of the cylinder and one through the right wall, these. spark plugsbeing called accordingly the left and right plugsyand' when they are connected in banks, the left and right plug banks. When connected in banks it is not unusualto find that all the left hand plugs in a particular row of cylinders will be servedby onemagneto, or by one coil of a magneto, and all the right hand plugs will be served by another magneto or by another magneto coil. It is desirable to test these banks separately in ordento determine whether a particular magneto coil has ceased to function or whether particular spark plugs in a row are not working. Itisalso desirable to ground all the coils of all the 'magnetos serving the engine, at once. To accomplish an" these desirable objectives without impairing the function of the complex ignition system-and with simplicity of control is an extremely diflicult conceptionand it was for the accomplishment of this purpose and others of similar nature that this coordinated instrument was invented. A

In the drawings the numeral l0 designates a bus bar that is preferably annular, having the general shape of a quadrilateral, in the design of the instrument illustrated in the drawings. The corners of the bus bar shown in Fig. 3 have been replaced by 45 degree diagonal elements I in order to reduce the size of the busbar and to serve as mountings for connections. Upon the bus bar, which is of copper or other conducting metal, are mounted as by means of bolts l2 a plurality of switches indicated generally by the. numerals'lS, i3, 45, 45'. Inasmuch as these switches may be constructed alike, the descrip tion of one will suffice for all of them.

The switch I3 is shown in section'in Fig. 3 and it comprises an element l4 and two contacts [5 and I6, contact l5 being normally biased into engagement with the element l4, and contact l6 being normally biased out of engagement.

The contacts I5 and I6 are made or spring material having good conducting properties. A connector II makes contact throughout a large portion of its length with the element I4 which it may be connected to by soldering if desired, thus serving not only as a conductor for electrical current, but as a brace for the element I4. The end of the element I4 has bifurcations I4 which may be formed by splitting the end of the element and turning one of the furcations up and the other down as shown. The end of the connector I! is trifurcated as shown at II, the outer two furcations being bent upwardly and the intermediate one downwardly to form a guide for a conductor I8 which is attached to z the connector 11 by a screw connection I9. This conductor I8 may be considered the source of incoming current for the purpose of description, although it might equally be the carrier for outgoing current, as will be understood by electricians. The contact member I6 is connected at I6 with a conductor which is also connected to like contacts of each switch member mounted on the bus bar. In this way all inner contacts of the switches mounted on the bus bar are connected together and to a connector 2| which is in contact throughout the greater part of its length with a connector 22 which is attached to a conductor 23. The connectors 2|, 22 are mounted on the bus bar by screws in a manner similar to the mounting of the switches, except that both connectors are insulated from the bus bar.

The contact I6 of the switch I3, the connector I1, and the element I4 are insulated from the bolts I2 by insulating sleeves 24 and from each other and from the bus bar by insulators 25. The contact I5, which is normally in engagement with one of the furcations I4 of element I4 is separated from the bolts I2 by the sleeves 24 but is electrically connected thereto by a small plate 26 which is of conducting material and makes engagement therewith. It will therefore be apparent that the incoming lead I8 is connected through connector II, element I4, contact I5, plate 26 and bolt I2 to the bus bar III. The bus bar is connected to a conductor 21 as by means of a screw 28. The current thus transmitted from lead I8 to bus bar III is discharged through the lead 21.

On the end of the contact I5 is an insulator 38 mounted by means of a rivet 3| one end of which is exposed as shown and the other end of which is set within the insulating material so as to be covered thereby. The contact I6 has a stud 32 mounted thereon by means of a rivet 33 which does not make contact with the lower face of the insulator or with the rivet 3 I. The lower face 32' of the stud 32 is bevelled for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The arrangement of the spring contacts I5 and I6 is preferably such that a small gap is left between them when the contact I5 is engaged with the element I4, but this gap should not be so great that the contact I6 will engage the contact element I4 before the element I5 is disengaged, except in those instances where a temporary simultaneous connection of element I4 with both contacts is desired. When the contact I6 is raised into engagement with the element I4, the contact I5 is thrown out of engagement therewith.

If it be assumed that some electrical instrumentality is operatively connected to lead I8 it will be apparent that this switch may be employed to connect that instrumentality with one or the other of the electrical conductors 20 and 21. Thus, in the position of the switch shown in the drawing, the instrumentality connected to the lead I8 is connected through the bus bar I0 to the conductor 21. When the contact I5 is out of engagement and contact I6 is in engagement with the element I4 the said instrumentality will be connected through lead I8, connector II, element I4 and contact I5 to conduct-or 20--2I--2Z-23.

One use of this invention is in association with a remote control system of operating aircraft engines such as is described in my copending application Serial No. 613,316, filed August 29. 1945, for Ignition System (now Patent No. 2,501,410). For that particular use the conductor I8 is connected with a relay switch, the conductor 21 may be connected to the ground line and the conductor 23 to the battery line. Thus in one position of the switch the relay switch will be connected through the bus bar III to ground and in the other position of the switch through the lead 20 to a source of power. It will be understood that these connections are illustrative of a use, not a limitation thereto.

This apparatus with its four pairs of switches is desirable and a practical means of accomplishing the desired objectives contemplated by switches I, II, III, IV of said copending application. It will be observed that the control handles of this apparatus are also numbered I, II, III, IV.

If the element I8 is connected in a dual ignition system to the relay switch serving the right hand bank of plugs of a row of cylinders, the switch l3 which is similar in construction to switch I3 may be connected through lead I8 to the relay switch serving the left hand bank of plugs. The novel structure which has already been described cooperates with the novel structure which is about to be described to coordinate the control of both banks of plugs. Similarly, the same coordinated control can be applied to any pair of instrumentalities whose functioning can be coordinated by connection to one or the other of a pair of conductors. The switch I3 being mounted and constructed similarly to switch I3 will operate similarly with respect to the instrumentality to which it is attached. However, the coordination of those switches constitutes another novel conception of this invention.

Mounted upon the bus bar III are a number of strong metal elements 40 that are insulated from bar III, in this instance being four in number, the function of which is to support at one end the base 50 and at the other end the head III of a casing. Base 50 has a hollow, annular screw threaded boss 5I through which are passed all the leads that serve the switches. This base member 50 is annular in shape and provided with exterior screw threads 52 for the reception of an internal flange 53 on a protective shell 54. The mounting bars 40 are connected as by screws II with the said base member so that the base member and the bus bar are thus firmly united.

At their other ends the supports 48 are similarly connected to the head III by screws or bolts 42, the heads of which are covered by a plate II held in place by the pins I2 seated in the head I8. Thus, the head, bus bar and base member are firmly united and constitute a frame 01' wiring and to givezstrong support to l the thin part of the :metal shell 54.

Memberl 53ihas*a raised portion 53' which may ibeccoextensive' with the width of member 53*as -.ShWI1 IIi Fig. 3, or narrower-as shown in Fig. 4,

and' which has therein' radial notches or depresg sinus-55. IA slotted member having a radial projection 51 isattached to the base member 50 by'a' screwor bolt 58. Thisnovel locking means enables the base member and the shell to be locked ln any selected position with respect to each other.

From'the foregoing description and from the showing-inthe drawings it will beapparent that 1 there has been provided mounting for a gang of switchesthat-areprotected against shocks and electrical emanations from outside, and the electricalemanations from which are prevented from passing beyond the metal which preferably constitutes the casing. The novel structure shown in thedrawings includes eight such switches, operablein coordinated pairs the elements of each pair being-mo'unted at the corners of thebus bar at 90 degrees to'each other. Switch l3, for example, being mounted on the side ofthe bus bar an-d switch l3 being mounted-on its top. Another pair similarly mounted are shown at 45 and -45. Each pair-i coordinated and operated by novel means mounted in the head. The description of "means for'operating one pair will sufilce for all of them since their-construction is preferably 'similar.

A switch handle-IV is'attached to 5a pintle 60 whichiis mounted for turning movement in the head l0. Thepintlehaskeyed theretoiamember .6l which has a'plurality of cams, as shown in Fig. 2, which serve as hereinafter described, to ;operate the .two switches l3'and l3. The stop iii -limits :the'motionof the member'fil. The mem-berzfil is 'mounted'on the pintle .60 by means .ofia keytand slot and :a screw .63 so that it is compelled to turn with the pintle. Two spring pressed balls 64, only one of which is shown, are engageable in different combinations with three depressions t5 in .one surface of themember 6i to provide four positions of the member 6!. er

These four positions are marked on the plate H "asOfi, Right, Left and Both, when the switch is being used for the coordination of the relay switches serving the right and left banks of lot the spark plugs of a cylinder row. Other notation would be used in'conformity with the'use to which the-switch is bein'g'pu't. There are three camson' the member 6|,numbered 66, 61 and 68 "whichare so located with respectl'to the :cooper- :ating balls .64 and the-depressions v(i5 that they giveicooperativepositions to levers H, 1.8 which are pivotally mounted upon a pin 19 carriedby the portion 13 of the head.

The levers'lll and 71 engage the oilset ends of the Y inner contacts I 6, it" of switches l3, l3' .:'re-

spectively. :These levers are DIOVidOdfltlahGh ends with projecting rounded contactisurfacesior engagement-with the ends of thesprin'gsand'with inwardly directed cams adapted tocooperate with the cams of member 6 l.

Thefour positions of the switches aresh'own inFigsi and 2' by levers I, II, III, and IV. In

connection with these figures itshould be recalled that front and back views -are involvedso that movinghandle IV clockwise in Fig. 1 moves cam 'element fil counter-clockwise in Fig.2. In :the

switch position shown for handle I-both of the coordinated contacts are thrown outwardly against the tension of the spring contacts. In

the. position of handle-IIboth-thecontacts-are in their inward position, so that contact is made between the intermediate elements of-the switches and the outer contacts thereof. The position of the handle III shows'the inner contact of Zone switch and the outer contact of the other switch engaged. The position-of the handle jIV shows the engagement of these'contacts to be relatively reversed.

Considering the switch assembly to be connected to a relay switch of the stated kind to opcrate an engine having'four'rows of cylinders each of which has a left and a right magneto coil serving the left and right banks of-p'lugs, respectively, it will be seen by reference to handle I that both inner contacts have been engaged by throwing the contacts outwardly and that both relays are connected to battery. In the position corresponding to handle II, the relays are-both connected through the outer contacts to ground. In the position of handle III the bottom switch member is connected to ground as shown at'45 and theswitch 45 connects its relay tobattery. In the position of lever IV the relays are connected in reverseorder to battery and'igro'und. The magneto coils may be so connected to .the relay switches that in the position of the handle Off, both magneto coils will be grounded by the relays andnofiring will occur, in the position Right only the right bank will fire; in the position Left only the leftbank will fire, and in the position Both both banks will furnish ignition to the cylinders of their row.

It will be understood that this'swit-ch mechanism is to be employed to connect one"electrical instrumentality with either of two conductors or alternately to connect either of two electrical instrumentalities alternately to one conductor. For instance, if the lead 21 and the lead 23"were connected to instrum'entalities other than battery and ground, they could'be connected alternately with the'lead l8 through the operation of thls switch member. The association of the throw'oi' the switch contacts, the travel of the levers, the placing of the cams on the cam members and the location of the stops and detents are combined elements of noveltywhich contributeto the production of a unitary, novel and extremely'u'sefui result.

It is sometimes desirable and indeed even necessary to provide means bywhich all switches to ground'all the magneto coils, as in landing airplanes in an emergency. This novel-mechanism comprises I a preferably square, plunger-operated cam block having cam faces adapted-to' engag'e the bevelled ends-32' of studs 32 simultaneously.

This cam block '80 ismounted on the-end of a shaft 8| having annular grooves "82, 83 scented to cooperate with a spring pressed ball detent 84 mounted in a recess in the head. The shaft 8| is attached to a handle 85 the inner end of which, in the Off position, abuts the plate 1| preventing the plunger from being thrust too far into the casing. When it is desired to connect all the circuits simultaneously to ground, or to one conductor, the handle 85 may be pulled, disengaging the groove 82 from the ball detent 84, engaging the cam surfaces of the member 80 with the studs 32 and connecting all the circuits through the inner contacts of the switches with the battery or other suitable source of electrical current. In this position all the switches are simultaneously thrown so as to connect the instrumentalities associated with the switch elements to the battery through the inner switch contacts regardless of levers I, II, III, IV.

There is thus provided an apparatus having switches mounted for coordination in pairs and all together, the mounting of which occupies a minimum of space and of constructional material so that the resulting instrument is light in weight and adapted to use in places where light weight is an advantage.

Another advantage of the invention is in the mounting and coordination of switches to perform related functions by alternate or simultaneous operation, the operation of which is controlled by simple means which tend to eliminate human error.

Other advantages of the invention are recited in the constructional details and assemblage of parts which cooperate for the production of an intricate and unitary result.

ther advantages of the invention are in part apparent and have in part been set forth hereinabove in the specification.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is herein illustrated and described, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto. Various changes may be made therein, particularly in the design and arrange ment of the parts illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Switch mechanism comprising a switch including a movable contact member and a contact element engageable thereby, means for actuating said member comprising pivoted cam means and a pivoted lever, the free end of which is interposed between and engaged by said cam means and member, said cam means including a cam surface engaged by said lever, whereby movement of said member into and out of contact with said element is efiected upon rotation of said cam means, a second movable contact member, a second contact element engageable by the latter, and a second pivoted lever extending between said second contact member and the cam surface of said pivoted cam means, whereby said second contact member is operable by said pivoted cam means, one of said levers making an angle with the other of said levers which includes the pivotal axis of said cam means.

2. Switch mechanism comprising a switch including a movable contact member and a contact element engageable thereby, means for actuating said member comprising pivoted cam means and t a pivoted lever, the free end of which is interposed between and engaged by said cam means and member, said cam means including a cam surface engaged by said lever, whereby movement of said member into and out of contact with said element is eflected upon rotation of said cam means, and linearly movable cam means engageable with said movable contact member to operatively actuate the same independently of said pivoted cam means.

3. Switch mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein the cam surface is formed to actuate said first and second contact members individually and simultaneously to corresponding positions during movement of said pivoted cam means in either direction from one extreme position to the other.

4. Switch mechanism as defined in claim 1 comprising other means for simultaneously actuating said contact members independently of said levers and pivoted cam means 5. Switch mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein the cam surface is so formed that in four predetermined positions of said pivoted cam means, the first and second movable contact members will assume the following positions relative to the first and second contact elements, respectively: both out of contact, the first in contact and the second out of contact, the second in contact and the first out of contact, and both in contact.

6. Apparatus comprising a plurality of switch mechanisms as defined in claim 1, and linearly movable means for simultaneously moving the movable contact members of all said mechanisms to corresponding posit-ions relative to their respective contact elements independently of the pivoted cam means and the pivoted levers associated therewith.

7. Apparatus including a plurality of switch mechanisms each comprising a switch including a movable contact member, a contact element engageable by said member and means for actuating said member comprising pivoted cam means and a pivoted lever, the free end of which is interposed between and engaged by said cam means and member, said cam means including a cam surface engaged by said lever, whereby movement of said member into and out of contact with said element is effected upon rotation of said cam means, and means for simultaneously moving the movable contact members of all said mechanisms to corresponding positions relative to their respective contact elements independently of the pivoted cam means and the pivoted levers.

8. In an electrical switch assembly, a front panel, an operating handle having a shaft journalled in said panel, a member having a peripheral cam surface and secured to the inner end of said shaft for angular movement therewith, means for yieldably holding said cam member in predetermined angular positions, a lever pivotally mounted on the inner face of said panel with the free end thereof in sliding engagement with said peripheral cam surface, support means secured to said panel and extending rearwardly therefrom, switch means mounted on said support comprising a switch element, a first leaf spring contact at one side of said element and a second leaf spring contact at the other side of said element, said contacts and element being anchored by common means to said support and insulated from one another at the ends thereof remote from said panel, and said first contact being biased to normally engage said element at its free end, insulating spacer means interposed between the free ends of said contacts to prevent simultaneous engagement thereof with said element, the free end of said second spring contact being biased into engagement with said lever at the free end thereof so as to yieldably press said lever into continuous engagement with said peripheral cam surface, the latter being adapted upon angular movement by said handle to move said second contact into engagement with said element and said first contact out of engagement with said element.

9. An electrical switch assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said first spring contact is electrically connected to said support by means including said switch mounting means.

10. An electrical switch assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein the free end of said switch element is bifurcated, one furcation thereof being bent in one direction for engagement by said first spring contact and the other furcation being bent in the opposite direction for engagement by said second spring contact.

11. An electrical switch assembly as defined in claim 3 comprising a second lever pivotally mounted on the same axis as said first-named lever and engaging said peripheral cam surface, one of said levers making an angle with the other which includes the pivotal axis of said cam member, and a second switch means like said first-named switch means adapted to cooperate with said second lever in the same manner that said first-named lever and switch means cooperate, said cam surface being so formed as to 10 hold either one, both or neither of said second leaf spring contacts in engagement with its respective switch element depending upon the angular position of said cam member.

12. An electrical switch assembly as defined in claim 11 comprising a plurality of pairs of switches and operating means for each said pair as defined in said claim 11, and linearly movable means slidably mounted in said front panel for simultaneously moving all of said second spring contacts into engagement with their respective switch elements.

MAURICE A. RUDD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Brouwer Aug. 29, 1950 

